Hey. My name is Melody Mancini, and I am a Communications Professional Writing student at Centennial College. If you ever get the joy of meeting me in person, you’ll find that the way I talk translates into how I write. I am most comfortable writing in a colloquial style; it’s the easiest way to get thoughts from my head onto the paper. In fact, most of the written work I submitted during my application process for this program was in a colloquial style.
While it would be nice to always write in a colloquial style, it is not appropriate for all writing situations. It might sound disingenuous to change the way I write based on the brand or a company I am working for, but it is actually one of the best assets to have. As a professional writer, your best skill is having the ability to adapt your voice based on the audience of your brand.
What do I mean by this?
Let’s take a look at Wendy’s Twitter for example. Wendy’s Twitter has become an iconic voice in the fast food Twitter world. Their tweets are sarcastic and funny, while still promoting their product. It has been received so well by Wendy’s followers, that many fast food companies have followed suit. These companies understand that their followers on Twitter tend to be younger and will engage with their content if they participate in a popular meme, or tweet witty responses.
Now, think about a bank. If you were looking to switch banks and their social media voice was the same as Wendy’s, how would you react? Would you think that the bank’s Twitter got hacked? Just like my writing, Wendy’s voice is not one size fits all.
While a bank still might be able to have some humor in their writing, their writing would need to be much more professional to maintain credibility with their customers. A bank’s audience has a broader demographic than Wendy’s and not everyone seeking a bank’s Twitter wants to see memes; instead, many people go to these Twitter accounts for support with their banking.
My written voice is an extension of myself and my abilities. I like to write as if I’m speaking to a friend. I understand when this type of writing is appropriate, and when it’s not. As a professional writer, it’s all about understanding yourself, your writing, and the environment in which your writing exists.
So, hey, my name is Melody. I am a dynamic professional writer. While the writing in this post has been colloquial, my portfolio accentuates my ability to adapt my writing based on my audience.